The Olmecs: An African
Presence in Early America
[Excerpt from a larger article]
By Paul A. Barton

'According to an
archeologist who recently participated in archeological work in Mexico, One of
the most ancient civilizations in the Americas, the Black (Negritic) Olmecs
developed a calendar that goes back to about 3,113 years Before Christ. The
archeologist who appeared on the Art Bell show made that point.

The ancient
"Olmecs" of
Mexico
and Mesoamerica are one of the most intriguing civilizations of the
Americas
. In fact, they are the first civilization in
Mexico
and it was from them that all other civilizations in
Mesoamerica
followed.Yet, the fact that
the Olmecs were most likely a Black civilization of African origins has not been
made public and the "Indian" elements in Mexico have gained more
prominence to the extent that the Negroid substrata of the ancient
Mexican/Mesoamerican civilizations has been kept hidden.Yet, over the past
many years, various levels of proof have been found linking the
"Olmecs" to Africans in the Western part of
Africa
.'

Linguistic Similarities

Studies done by
researchers such as Ivan Van Sertima (They Came
Before Columbus), Alexander Von Wuthenau
(Unexpected Faces in Ancient America), Runoko Rashidi
and others have presented evidence that clearly show that the Olmecs were not
Indians with "baby faces," or Indians who looked like Blacks (although
a few Olmecs did mix with the Native Americans). They were Africans no different
from Africans found in the Mende regions of
West Africa
.

Studies done by
Clyde
Winters show that the Olmecs used the Mende script, a writing system used
among the Mandinkas and other Africans in
West Africa
. When the writings on Olmec monuments were translated, it was found that the
language spoken by the Olmecs was Mende.

Religious Similarities

The Olmecs practiced
a religion and astronomical sciences identical to those practiced by Africans in
the
Mali
region and
Nigeria
today. The Olmecs studied the Venus Complex in astronomy. Today, the Ono and
Bambara who are famous sea and river travelers have studied that same complex
for thousands of years. In fact, another group the Dogon is well known for their
tracking and mapping of the Sirius star system and their accurate results.

The Olmecs also had a
religious practice of Thunder worship where the ax was a prominent feature. In
West Africa
, the ax is also a prominent feature in connection with the Shango or Thunder
God worship. Both the Olmecs and the Shango worshippers in
West Africa
placed an emphasis on the religious significance of children in their religious
practices.

The Olmecs Were Related To Blacks Of The Mende
Group Of
West Africa

Cinque the
leader of the rebellion on the Amistad was a Mende]

The Olmecs carved
about twenty-two colossal stone heads in the southern parts of
Mexico
and their influence have been found in
Guatemala
and further south. Olmec type sculptures have also been found in parts of the
U.S.
, (The Washitaw Nation
of Louisiana), where another prehistoric Black nation (who still has
members and land today) existed.

Various cultural
clues and traces unique to Africa as well as the living descendants of
prehistoric and ancient African migrants to the
Americas
continue to exist to this very day. The Washitaw Nation of Louisiana, the
Garifuna or Black Caribs of the Caribbean and Central America is another, the
descendants of the Jamasse who live in Georgia and the surrounding states is
another group. There are also others such as the Black Californian of Queen
Calafia fame, the Black Amazon Queen mentioned in the book Journey to Esplandian,
by Ordonez de Montalvo during the mid 1500's.

The Olmecs and
Washitaw, Black Californians, Jamassee, Califunami and other pre-columbian
Blacks of the
Americas
were part of a prehistoric trade network that began in
Africa
and spread worldwide over 100,000 years ago and at various periods afterwards.
According to the book, Susu Economics The History of Pan-African Trade,
Commerce, Money and Wealth, these Blacks found in the
Americas
, as well as remnants of their ancient civilizations are not a myth or
fairytale.

The ancient Blacks of
the Americas are the missing pieces of a large puzzle that would be solved if
many of today's writers, scientists, historians and archeologists were not as
biased or "embarrassed," like the Mexican archeologists who found out
without a doubt, that the Olmecs of Mexico were Black Africans and they
introduced the first astronomical calendar to Mexico about 3,113 years Before
Christ.

Not only is there an
ancient Black African presence and contribution to the creation of civilization
and culture in prehistoric and ancient America, but there also is such a
presence and contribution in Mesopotamia (Nimrod a son of Kush developed the
region, it is said), Sabea/Arabia, India, Cambodia, Southern China and
Melanesia/South Pacific region.

African Cultural Similarities

The Olmecs used an
African practice that is very common in Africa and to some extent in
Melanesia
. That practice is body scarification and specifically facial scarification as
practiced in
West Africa
. Many of the facial scars seen on the Olmec terracotta faces, such as
"dot" keloids and "lined" patterns are identical to Africans
such as the Dinka of Sudan and the Yoruba and
others of
West Africa
. (Dinka scarification can be found in old copies of National Geographic. Olmec
scarification can be found in the text by "Alexander Von Wuthenau,
Unexpected Faces in Ancient America."

African hairstyles
such as cornrows are found on many of the Olmecs terracotta found in
Mexico
. Both kinky hair carved into one of the colossal stone heads of basalt, as well
as the cornrowed style wearing tassels (see African
Presence in Early America, by Ivan
Van Sertima; Transaction Publishers), have been found.

The
"cornrow" factor clearly shows that these Blacks who were in
Mexico
in prehistoric times most likely came from the West Africa/South Sahara region,
rather than
Melanesia
. It is in
West Africa
that cornrows are very common and have been since prehistoric times.

Olmecs Introduced The First Aspects Of Meso-American Civilization

Xochicolco

The Great Pyramid - Mayan

The Black Olmecs were
the first to build "Pyramids" in
Mexico
, although these were built of mud and one was more cone-shaped then actually
pyramidal. The Olmecs apart from carving 22 colossal stone heads dating to about
1100 B.C, also created thousands of work of art throughout
Mesoamerica
. Olmec terracotta art show people involved in a variety of activities from
wrestling to pottery making.

In retrospect, there is no doubt that the ancient Olmecs of
Mexico
and the Olmec language, religion, culture were of African origins and
specifically of the Mende group of
West Africa
. Still it is sad that essays on the Olmecs are not presented in publications,
when the African origins of this Mesoamerican civilization are presented,
including the latest findings. There is hope, however that the most recent
findings of the ancient Olmec calendar and the similarities in race, culture and
language with Africans in West Africa will be brought out and made available to
those who see an obvious African influence and presence in early America.

According to author
and historian Indus Khamit Cush in his book,
(‘what theynever
told you in history class’), a conpendeum of listed quotations.

'In
his scholarly work, Mayan and Mexican origins, he contended that groups of nine
[9] gods were frequently mentioned in the Pyramid Texts of ancient
Egypt
...And...in
America
we have nine[9] Lords of the night frequently recorded in
Mexico
.'

John G. Jackson, Man, God and Civilization

The burial chamber of King Unas(2375-2345 BC)
the walls inscribed with the first ever 'Pyramid Texts'
the oldest religious literature in the world.

Pyramid Texts:

In wonderful
Egypt
, on the desert plateau of Saqqara 10 miles southeast of the Great Pyramid, five
very similar pyramids have survived for some forty-two centuries. They are
filled inside with over four thousand vertical columns of hieroglyphs, cut into
their solid rock walls.

Saqqara

These are the Pyramid
Texts which appear quite suddenly in just two centuries between 2356 BC and 2152
BC. They are found mostly in the 5th Dynasty pyramid of King Un-is and the 6th
Dynasty pyramids of Teti, Pepi I, Merenr'a and Pepi II.

The writings in all
five pyramids are clearly distributed in four matching instruction locations
corresponding to the Great Pyramid Entrance Passage, Queen's Chamber, Grand
Gallery and King's Chamber. The five Kings evidently wanted to have a kind of
stenographic record of the words which must have been said countless times in
each Great Pyramid location while facing in different directions.

Egyptologists are
fond of saying that the Great Pyramid is mute, with no Hieroglyphs cut into its
walls. But this is really not quite true. Every upper passage, chamber, gallery
and shaft inside the Great Pyramid of Giza is an incredibly old, unmistakable,
megalithic Hieroglyph for the words seba and rut for "Ensouling Star
door" and "Tunnel Opening gate." They are unmistakably reproduced
in the Pyramid Texts of Saqqara. Egyptologists should have told the world about
these architectural hieroglyphs long ago. It might have removed much needless
speculation about the Great Pyramid.

Soleb
city in Nubia

Among the many Black
Nations of the U.S. before and after Columbus were and are:

The Yamasee of the South East
The Washitaw of the Louisiana/Midwest
The Black Californians (Calafians

Rafinesque was a naturalist who explored and took accurate documentation of his
works throughout the U.S. In mentioning Negroes, Blacks, Moors,
Ethiopians....explorers such as Rafinesque referred to Negro Black Africans, not
dark-skinned "Indians."

The Olmecs and China

The Olmecs and their
civilization is discussed throughout this great work. Olmec origins are in
West Africa
and Egypt-Nubia. Their arrival goes back before 3000 years B.C., when an
Egyptian-Nubian calendar is introduced to
Mexico
. The Mende or Shi People form the dominant language and culture in Olmec
Mexico. Their alphabet, language and religion dominates Olmec Mexico.

Another source of Olmec Culture is the Black Shang Dynasty of China. The Shang
was a pre Chou Dynasty. The Chou were the first predominantly Mongoloid peoples
to rule
China
according to some sources. The Shang were Blacks described by the Chou as
"black and oily skinned," and they ruled
China
from about 2200 B.C. to 1100 B.C. Many Shang migrants moved to
Southern China
with the infiltration of the Chou, however many sailed across the Pacific with
Mongoloid Chinese and became part of the Olmec civilization, a culture that was
already in existence when they arrived.

Old World Celtic migrations and the trade between the Celtics of Europe and West
Africans (Formorians, Black giants who occupied
Ireland
in ancient times) is discussed.

The many mysteries
about Old World visits to the
Americas
has been thoroughly researched and is part of this well-written work. There are
many facts that we have never learned in school. For example, the most ancient
civilization in the
Americas
were the Black Mound-building "Giants" of the
Mississippi
Valley
. They are still in existence today and are called the Washitaw Nation.

The works of I. Rafinesque is discussed in this book, especially his work,
"Black Nations of America." One of the least known facts about
American history is that along with the American Indians, there were millions of
African Blacks who lived in the
Americas
before
Columbus
and for thousands of years. They were enslaved right here in the
Americas
and sold to plantations in the South. Blacks from South America who had lived
there for thousands of years were also taken and sold to plantations in
North America
. These Blacks were the cousins, brothers and sisters of the Africans who were
taken to the
Americas
as slaves after 1492. Hence, Blacks in
America
also lost millions of square miles of land to the European settlers and
invaders. In fact today in parts of coastal South America and
Central America
, Blacks descended from pre-Columbian Africans are still struggling to maintain
the lands they have had long before the arrival of the Europeans.

Indian
of
Panama

Kneeling
[Wasitaw] with helmet

The earliest people
in the Americas were people of the Negritic African race, who entered the
Americas perhaps as early as 100,000 years ago, by way of the Bering straight
and about thirty thousand years ago in a worldwide maritime undertaking that
included journeys from the then wet and lake filled Sahara towards the Indian
Ocean and the Pacific, and from West Africa across the Atlantic Ocean towards
the Americas. According to the Gladwin Thesis, this ancient journey occurred,
particularly about 75,000 years ago and included so called Black Pygmies, Black
Negritic peoples and Black Australoids similar to the Aboriginal Black people of
Australia
and parts of Asia, including
India
.

This stone belt was
used by the Olmec ballplayers to catch the impact of the rubber balls in
their ball games. This face is typical Negritic, including the eyes which seem
to "slant," a common racial characteristic in West Africa, the Sahara
and in
South Africa
among the Kong-San (Bushmen) and other Africans.

Subject: Black
Sailors Among the Ancient Mayans Black Sailors Among the Ancient Mayans.

A One Drop Middle
Passage Message.

In what is now
Southeastern Mexico, in 918 AD, artistic representations and hieroglyphs were
painted on the walls of the Temple of the Warriors (Templo de Los Guerreros) in
the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itza depicting black skin men paddling,
poling and sitting as passengers in river canoes. There are other brown skin men
and women doing various things on land on these same walls, and there are light
complexioned people doing various things also, such as paddling black skin
warriors.
Chichén Itza
is in the Northernmost part of the State of
Yucatan
. It is served by a harbor island named Isla Cerritos, which though small (200
meter diameter) possessed a bustling town that functioned as a stopover and
trading post for early boat traffic. It is situated between what is now the
Mexican States of Vera Cruz,
Tabasco
,
Campeche
, and from the Southern side of the peninsula
Honduras
,
Guatemala
,
Belize
and the State of
Quintana Roo
.

What is important to
note about this little island on the top of the
Yucatan
Peninsula
is the concept that the Olmecs might have been the original settlers, since
legend has it that they came by ship and were traders. The Olmecs are
represented by those African head statues in
Tabasco
and Vera Cruz. Amongst the products passed along this route were honey, cotton,
corn, obsidian, jade, turquoise, spices, cacao and going in both directions were
slaves. Because of this last word [slaves] no question is raised about the black
warriors and sailors nor brown merchants. It is sort of like when you have eight
African heads and one Phoenician carved representation Thor Heyerdahl tried to
find how the Phoenician arrived in the "
New World
". As a matter of fact, if you see Heyerdahl’s possible pre-Columbian
routes they circle
Africa
but does not touch it. So it seems that the black warriors being paddled by
light skin Mayans are not important enough to investigate, I mean they were
probably warrior slaves, right?

Even if they were
warrior slaves wouldn’t that be worth studying? These Mayan trade routes
connected at trading posts to footpaths called sac-be to the cities on the
interiors. Except for the trading posts on the coasts most cities were inland
sot he coasts have not been seriously studied and until tourism took over from
commerce these routes were utilized into the late 20th Century. This brings in
the Garifuna, or Black Caribb of the late 18th Century and their 40-foot double
masted sailing canoes and the thoroughly mixed and very independent Miskitos and
their 30 to 50-foot sailing canoes. Nobody is specifically studying any of this
maritime heritage. The term canoe is thought to be of Mayan origin yet the word
seems one of those universal sounds that you hear everywhere. The design is
basic with subtle features but generally a trunk is cut down of a particular
type of tree. It is hollowed by first chopping at its center then burning and
chopping at the burn weakened part, then turned over and shaped to fit the
circumstance, such as lake, lagoon, bay, river, coastal ocean or deep sea. We
were and are sailing in the
Caribbean
Basin
, South America, Africa,
India
,
Southeast Asia
,
Micronesia
, Melanesia and
Polynesia
. We have designed vessels that have withstood the changes of time that are
classics. We have invented, developed and refined much of what the sailing world
keeps going back to. And yet we, collectively, think this important part of our
history and an important career alternative belongs to another culture of a very
different hue.

Written by:

One Drop, H.E. Ross

'That's
my blood down there!' Neville Brothers

The Maya connection:

Most of us are
familiar with the Mayan civilization of
Yucatan
and
Central America
, since American archaeologists have devoted many years of intensive research to
these territories. Among the speculations concerning the origin of this culture,
those of LePlongeon and Raquena are the most valuable. Professor Rafael Requena,
a Venezuelan archaeologist, holds that there was once an island in the Atlantic
Ocean, of continental dimensions, known to the ancients as Atlantis, that this
island was settled by Egyptians, who in turn established colonies in
America
before the submergence of Atlantis. The findings of Professor Augustus
LePlongeon are of great interest.

This Franco-American
archaeologist discovered the ruins of a palace in
Chichén Itza
in 1874. He found in this structure, known as Prince Coh's Palace,
pictographs and inscriptions which he was able to decipher. The story, as
unraveled by LePlongeon, may be read by the student in Queen Moo and the
Egyptian Sphinx, where the professor gives his interpretation of the
inscriptions and reproductions of the pictographs. Mrs. LePlongeon's work, Queen
Moo's Talisman, might also be consulted. The story runs roughly as follows:

About 11,000 years ago, two brothers Princes of Yucatan, sought the hand of the
ruling monarch of the land, Queen Moo, in marriage. The brothers were named Coh
and Aac, respectively. Prince Coh was the successful suitor; which so enraged
Prince Aac that he stabbed his brother through the heart with a stone knife,
which, needless to say, caused his death. Then Aac attempted to force Queen Moo
to wed him. The Queen, rather than submit, decided to flee to Atlantis. On
reaching the coast she learned that great earthquakes had submerged Atlantis
beneath the sea; so she sailed for Africa instead, and ended her journey in
Egypt
. There she was hailed as Queen, and erected the Sphinx as a memorial to her
slain husband.

Egyptian

Mayan

The foregoing story sounds like a fable, but there is probably a core of fact in
it. If the Sphinx, with its Ethiopian face, is a memorial to an ancient Mayan
prince, it shows that the Mayas were of African origin.